Why do JLPT N4 learners confuse このあいだ with やはり / やっぱり?

Both words occupy adjacent semantic territory, which is exactly why the JLPT uses them as distractors for each other on multiple-choice items. The fastest way to stop confusing them is to study them as a pair, write a one-sentence contrast in your own words, and drill the pair specifically rather than each word in isolation.

Is このあいだ or やはり / やっぱり more common on JLPT N4?

Both appear in the JLPT N4 curriculum and either may show up on a given exam. Don't try to predict which one the test will choose — learn to distinguish them and you'll be safe regardless. Both belong to the Adverbs & Expressions theme of N4 vocabulary.

How do I practice this confusion pair?

Free option: visit /try and pick a confusion drill. Paid option: none — JLPT Mastery is free during launch. Whichever route you take, the engine specifically re-tests pairs you've gotten wrong rather than rotating through general vocabulary review.

JLPT N4 · Elementary · Meaning confusion

このあいだ vs やはり / やっぱり

Q: What's the difference between このあいだ and やはり / やっぱり?

このあいだ (このあいだ) means "the other day, recently" and やはり / やっぱり (やはり) means "as I thought, absolutely". Both are adverbs that set the stage for a statement. Kono aida (このあいだ) refers to a specific past time, while yahari (やはり) relates to the speaker's internal state of expectation.

Why JLPT N4 learners mix up このあいだ (このあいだ, “the other day, recently”) and やはり / やっぱり (やはり, “as I thought, absolutely”).

このあいだ

the other day, recently

noun

やはり / やっぱり

やはり

as I thought, absolutely

noun

Theme: Adverbs & ExpressionsJLPT N4

Why these get confused

Both are adverbs that set the stage for a statement. Kono aida (このあいだ) refers to a specific past time, while yahari (やはり) relates to the speaker's internal state of expectation.

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. このあいだ (the other day, recently) and やはり / やっぱり (as I thought, absolutely) live in adjacent semantic territory. Memorize the boundary, not just each word.
Read the example sentences below. Seeing each word in its natural context builds a faster lookup than studying the dictionary form alone.

In a sentence

このあいだ (the other day, recently)

やはり / やっぱり (as I thought, absolutely)

彼は頭がよいがやはり嫌いだ。
君の計画が筋の通ったものであることは認めるけれど、それを実行するのはやはりとても難しいと思うよ。

How JLPT tests this pair

On JLPT N4, this pair shows up as a vocabulary meaning question. You see one word and pick its English equivalent from four options — one of which will be the other word in this pair, chosen as a distractor precisely because of the overlap.

Sample item

「このあいだ」の意味は？

A. the other day, recently (correct)
B. as I thought, absolutely (distractor)
C. (other plausible meaning)
D. (other plausible meaning)

Drill this pair until it sticks

Reading the explanation is step one. Targeted practice is what actually moves a confusion pair out of your weak list. Free, no signup needed to try.

Practice N4 confusion pairs

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このあいだ vs けれど / けれども

While meaning-wise distinct, both often appear at the beginning of sentences to provide context. Kono aida (このあいだ) provides a time reference ('recently'), while keredo (けれど) provides a logical contrast ('however').

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Confusion arises in contexts discussing expected outcomes. Ikura...temo (いくら～ても) suggests a result holds despite the conditions, while yahari (やはり) confirms a result aligns with original expectations.

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Meaning confusion · Adverbs & Expressions

けれど / けれども vs やはり / やっぱり

These are logically opposite in terms of expectation. Keredo (けれど) signals a contradiction to what was expected, while yahari (やはり) confirms that the outcome was exactly as the speaker thought.

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Meaning confusion · Adverbs & Expressions

このあいだ vs もし

These are distinct in meaning but both function as common sentence openers. Learners might mix up the temporal reference 'the other day' (このあいだ) with the hypothetical conditional 'if' (もし).

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Meaning confusion · Adverbs & Expressions

さっき vs やはり / やっぱり

Both adverbs modify the tone of the sentence. Sakki (さっき) provides a specific recent time context, while yahari (やはり) provides a confirmation that a situation matches expectations.

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Meaning confusion · Adverbs & Expressions

もし vs やはり / やっぱり

Both relate to the speaker's expectations. Learners confuse them because both adverbs color the sentence with the speaker's perspective on the likelihood or reality of an event.

See explanation →

Frequently asked

このあいだ vs やはり / やっぱり

Why JLPT N4 learners mix up このあいだ (このあいだ, “the other day, recently”) and やはり / やっぱり (やはり, “as I thought, absolutely”).

このあいだ

the other day, recently

noun

やはり / やっぱり

やはり

as I thought, absolutely

noun

Theme: Adverbs & ExpressionsJLPT N4

Why these get confused

Both are adverbs that set the stage for a statement. Kono aida (このあいだ) refers to a specific past time, while yahari (やはり) relates to the speaker's internal state of expectation.

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. このあいだ (the other day, recently) and やはり / やっぱり (as I thought, absolutely) live in adjacent semantic territory. Memorize the boundary, not just each word.
Read the example sentences below. Seeing each word in its natural context builds a faster lookup than studying the dictionary form alone.